Machine for distributing soap.



PATENTED AUG. 25; 1908.

H. ROBINSON. MACHINE FOR DISTRIBUTING SOAP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1906. RENEWED JUNE 13,1908.

7v 0 l a U M a UNITED .sTATEs PAirENT OFFICE.

HENRY ROBINSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TIIIRD TO HAROLDS.

MACKAYE, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

MAGmNE FOR DISTRIBUTING SOAP. 9

v Specification of Ibetters Patent.

Patented 51,525, 1908.

Application flied February 1 1906, Serial No. 299,057. Renewed June13,1908. Serial No. 438,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, HENRY. RoBINsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Distributing Soap,of which the following is a specification. My present invention relatesto an improved soap dis ensing apparatus for use on toilet basins ansinks particularl in hotels, railway'stations and other public placeswhere it is desired to avoid the indiscriminate use of cakes of soap byall sorts of people.

My improved device is adapted for use with either liquid or powderedsoap. It acts automatically by merely presenting the hands to the devlcefor reception of the soap and it insures delivery of a certain measuredquantity of material at each operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a median vertical section of the deviceseen from one side, Fig. 2 is a similar section taken at right anigTlesto the view in Fig. 1 and seen from the out and Fig. 3 is an enlargedfront eleva tion of a detail.

I use a casing, A, of any convenient shape, but preferably a sheet metalcylinder, as shown, which has a suitable cover. .The casing A fits intoa bottom casting A, preferably made in two symmetrical halves, asindicated by the vertical dotted line in Fig. 2. This bottom piece issupported by any suitable device, as for instance by the bracket, C,adapted to be screwed to a wall or other su ort.

he dependin operating lever D is preferably shaped as s own in thedrawings, beingfixed at 1ts upper end to a short horizontal shaft Dlocated in an appro riate chamber formed in the casting A. iii front ofthe shaft D and about on a level with it, the casting A forms a narrowoutlet passage, preferably tapering which can be closed from elow orabove respectivel by the two diverging valves E and F. hese valvesradiate at a suitable angle to each other from the shaft D to which theyare fixed and with which they move. the lower end of the outlet passagenormally as shown in Fig. 2, its diverging side edges fitting closelyagainst the lower edges of said passage and being held in said positionby tension of the spring E fixed at one end to The lower valve E closes4 any appropriate abutment E and at the oposite end to the shaft D. Theupper surace of the valve E is preferably. formed as shownwith a doubleslope from a median line, so that the material falling from the passageabove it shall not lodge on said valve.

When the hands of the user are brought together as shown in Fig. 1andthe backs of the fingers push back the lever D, the valves aredepressed and the position shown in Fig.

3 and in dotted lines in Fig.1 is produced. Here the top valve Fdescends until its two sharp sides closely fit into-the top of theoutlet passage, closing communication between said passage and the uppercasing. Atthe same'time the lower va ve piece drops so as to open theoutlet passage and allow its contents to dro into the users hands. WhileI do not con e myself to' this precise con struction, I find the use ofan upper valve F with euttin ed es which enter the outlet passage w etig tly fitting the same an advantage. This isa particularly usefulfeature where powdered soap is used, as this material is apt to formsmall cakes which would prevent perfect closure if the valve were notadapted to cut through them. This top valve is preferably rounded andhollow underneath as shown, although this is not essential to myinvention.

In order /to adapt my device for use with I powdered soap'I prefertosupply an agitator whereby the caking of the'soap will be counteractedand the easy falling of the powder will be promoted. This is notessential to my invention, particularly because the very principle ofoperation of my device involves ifting and consequent breaking u of thepowder by the valve F each time t e apparatus is used, and this is oneof the advantagsous novel features of this invention. here. the agitatoris used, it preferably takes the form of a number of upwardly extendingfingers G which are attached to the valve F. To these arepreferably'attached cross pieces G as shown. This agitator may be madeof wire or-other appropriate mate-' rial and acts at once to lift andslice the material contained in the casing each time the valve F islifted by pushing the lever D.

The preferred agitatorabove described has the casing, owing to thelocation of the said agitator on the top of a tilting valve. This causesthe fingers to move longitudinally and transversely with relation to thecasing at the same time. t

It will be seen that my apparatus is very cheaply made, beingconstructed of a very few simple parts. These are first-the two halfcastings A forming an upper bowl and a narrow outlet passage with twovalve seats, there being also formed a side chanber to receive thevalve-shaft; second the shaft and two attached 'valves which can be castall in one piece, and third-the sheet metal casing preferably having aremovable cover.

What I claim isl. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, avalve below the same, a revoluble horizontal shaft to which said valveis fixed and a depending lever also fixed to said shaft extending belowthe valve for operating the same, substantially as described.

2. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a easing, an outlet passagebeneath the same, two'tilting valves at the top and bottom of saidpassage respectively and a mechanical connection between said valvesoutside of said passage for insuring their simultaneous operation,substantially as described.

3, A soap dispensing apparatus comprise ing a casing, an outlet passagebeneath the same, a revoluble shaft at one side of said passage, twovalves for said passage radiatlng from and fixed to said shaft and meansfor revolving said shaft back and forth, substantially as described.

4. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, an outlet passagebeneath the same,"a revoluble shaft at one side of said I passage, aspring attached to said shaft tending to turn it in one direction, twovalves for said passage radiating from and fixed to said shaft and meansfor-revolving said. shaftagainst the tendency of said spring,substantially'as described. I

5. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, an outlet passage, arevoluble shaft at one side of said passage, a tilting valve fixed .tosaid shaft and arranged to command one end of said passage, a springattached to said shaft and tending to keep said valve closed and meansfixed to said shaft for operating said valve, substantiallyas described.v

6. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing an outlet passagebelow the same, a valve commanding said outlet and arranged to lift aportion of the contents of said casing whenever it is opened and anexterior means mechanically connected to said valve for its operation,substantially as described.

.7. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, an outlet passage,a tilting valve commanding said outlet and arranged to lift a portion ofthe contents of said casing whenever it is opened and an exterior meansinechanically connected tosaid valve for its operation, substantially asdescribed.

8. A soap dis ensing apparatus comprising a casing, a ti ting valvetherefor, an agitator on said valve extending into the body of saidcasing and means for tilting said valve upward so as to cause activelifting action of the valve and agitator on the contents of the casingand simultaneous transverse slicing action-of the agitator, substantially as described.

9. A soap dis ensing apparatus comprising a casing, a ti ting valvetherefor, a numher of fingers fixed to the top of said valve andextending upward into said casing and cross )ieces on said fingers,substantially as described.

10. A soap dispensing apparatus'compris-. ng a casing, an outlet passagebeneath the same, a tilting valve having shearing edges adapted toextend partly. into said passage, and a pivoted support for said valve;all so constructed and arranged that, as the valve tilts in closing, theshearing edges'pass into the outlet passage first nearer the ivotedsupport and afterward progressive y outward from said support.

11. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, an outlet passageof long narrow cross section and a tilting valve pivoted at one side ofsaid passage and having shearing edges adapted to extend partly intosaid passage, substantially as described.

12. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, an outlet passagebeneath the same, and tilting valves forthe upper and lower ends of saidpassage respectively, united for simultaneous action by connectionoutside of said passage.

13. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a casing, an outlet passagebeneath the same, a revoluble shaft at one side of said passa e,-adepending operating lever fixed to said s aft and two diverging valvesfixed to said shaft, the upper valve having a shearing edge and thelower valve having a sloping top surface, substantially as described.

14. A soap dispensing apparatus comprising a lower casting made-in twosymmetrical to, a spring iirsaid chamber attached to said shaft and asheet metal casing fitting said upper bowl, substantially as described.

16.. .111 a soap dispensing apparatus, means [or controiling dischargeof the soap comprising a shaf t, an operating lever and two valvemembers said lever and valve members projecting at right angles fromsaid shaft and making angles with each other, substantially asdescribed.

17. In a soap dispensing apparatus a casing, a valve seat beneath it, avalve therefor simultaneous longitudinal and transverse movement withinthe casing when said valve is operated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY ROBINSON.

Vitnesses '1. l KEnoE, James EDIAM.

